Inactivation of cardiac drugs by gut microbes

We are using cell culture, mass spectrometry, and studies in gnotobiotic mice (germ-free and colonized) to determine the mechanism of reduction of digoxin and other cardiac glycosides by members of the gut microbiota, and to determine whether or not it is possible to limit this reaction in vivo.

Single cell methods for analyzing microbial physiology and gene content

We are using flow cytometry and microfluidics to analyze complex microbial communities collected from the human gut at single cell resolution. These techniques allow us to determine the baseline physiology, activity, and gene content of gut microbes, and how these factors are shaped by clinically relevant perturbations, i.e. exposure to host-targeted drugs and antibiotics.

The role of diet and surgery in shaping the gut microbiome and host metabolic outcomes

We are studying how Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery re-shapes the gut microbiota, and to what degree these changes contribute to the metabolic outcomes of surgery (in collaboration with Lee Kaplan group at Mass General Hospital). We are also performing experiments on the role of diet in shaping gut microbial ecology.